Side port adapters may be added to an inserted catheter to provide an additional site for infusion; in particular, a side port adapter could be attached to the adapter of a placed catheter. Specifically, over the needle catheters, used for peripheral intravenous entry into the vasculature of a patient, provide an easily attached access port to connect to for infusion and/or sampling. The addition of a side port adapter to the adapter of the catheter would permit connection of more than one line or a line and a syringe to the placed catheter.
Side port adapters with internal valving have been patented and used to control flow through the passageways of the adapter. Valves of various designs located in side port adapters have been useful for different purposes. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,385,301 shows a balloon catheter with a deformable one way inflation valve wherein a resilient valve member is captured in one leg of a Y-adapter through which a syringe may be used to collapse the valve thus opening that path to air for inflating the balloon.
A side port catheter adapter with a valve, shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,416,567, has a capped side port and a flexible tube within a main passage of that adapter. An arrangement such as shown in the '567 patent selectively permits introduction of medication through the side port but prevents back flow through the side port after the introduction. A syringe can be used to inject fluid and collapse sufficiently the sleeve in the main passage thus opening the valve with the pressure of the flowing injectate as it moves from the syringe. Various other valves have been tried for a similar purpose as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,063,555.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,572,375, a twin valve T-connector is disclosed for use with syringes and injection devices. There is a coupling body having three interconnected passageways with separate independent check valves in two of the passageways. Each check valve may be independently and separately used for controlling to a single direction the flow of fluid through a respective passage of the coupling body. Duck bill check valves are shown, while the arrangement is similar to the concept presented herein, that couplinq body with valves is not identical since the side port intersects with the main passage proximal relative to the check valve. Consequently, two independent separate check valves are required instead of one as is disclosed and claimed herein.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,710,942 shows a twin passage, double valve arrangement wherein foam is used to encourage closure of the check valve and prevent backflow. In addition to the duck bill shaped check valves, mushroom style valves of various shapes are disclosed. The valves are separate and independent from one another and the intersection of the passages are not positioned as disclosed herein.
Problems with the various known valves including luer activated valves include not providing reliable activation of an automatic valve within the adapter and valves that require they be opened by contact with another device which may pass infection. The side port adapter with a combination valve as shown and disclosed herein overcomes the problems of the aforesaid valves and side port adapters. In addition, the removable side port adapter provides flexibility in that the side port can be removed after the appropriate period of use, thus preventing subsequent potential contamination or misuse.
An alternative to the use of a side port adapter with valve as described herein would be the use of a standard three-way stopcock as an add on infusion site. This, however, requires that the stopcock lever be manually actuated to open the desired flow paths. This can be confusing, is not automatic, and does not provide the anti backflow valve in the main channel.